Kirk Spencer

Kirk Spencer is one of a number of on-the-rise producers in the UK. He’s carved out a niche all to himself by gluing together Eastern melodies and Western beats – his Asian-inspired Enter The Void EP was a critical hit, summoning enormous dubstep lurches and flighty percussion.

His second EP, Wonderland, dropped recently. It’s a trek through his own mind, an exploration into his own feelings of life and his home city – there’s considerably less bass wubberings, and instead of sonic precipices, we’re gifted smooth indie-house. The cultural fusions remain, and while some moments feel Bhangra-flecked, others careen towards US EDM. Whilst being actually rather intimate, Spencer succeeds in creating something with a pulsing soul that makes you want to get up and boogie down.

If 2012 was the year that guitar bands returned en masse into the charts and blogs, 2013 is set to be the comeback of the DJ. We’re not talking David Guetta here, more like Paul Oakenfold, classic Fatboy Slim and Darude invading the charts and causing a raucous rave ruckus. Here’s where Kirk Spencer scurries into the fray. His production skills were tested on his first EP, and with Wonderland, the Nottingham knob-twiddler is set to join the ranks of a swarm of electronic artists on the verge of hitting the big time. He’s proved he has the chops – it’s just a matter of time. We catch up with Kirk on his ascension to greatness to discuss dream shows, yoga music and the city of Nottingham.

How did you start making music? What inspired you?

Going back to the beginning: in the village where I grew up (Radcliffe in Nottingham) there were a couple of local teenage punk bands that inspired me to get a guitar and start a band – so I did with my best mates. The band was called Od Sox. The line up in this newly founded band changed over the years, and it ended up with my little brother of 10 on the drums. It was fun, we did a few gigs, and the band found the community recording studios in Nottingham, which is where I became interested in collaborating with other singers and rappers, and production. I started to learn production there and at home on my Mac. Then I found artists like Flying Lotus and Hudson Mohawke, and I knew from then it would be my goal to start making music that explored new sounds, but also had emotion and feeling.

What music did you grow up with?

My Mum and Dad’s music – CDs for yoga classes that my mum teaches, Pink Floyd, Ravi Shankar, Bob Marley and a great Levi Jeans Compilation CD. They are the ones I remember the most. Other than that, Spice Girls and 5ive was what I listened to.

What would you say are your biggest non-musical influences?

Blogs, Friends, Life and Film. Some blogs I love are Arch Daily, Create Digital Motion and This Is 50.

Which records or bands have influenced you the most?

Local peeps like Scorzayzee, Late Of The Pier, Illmana and Metaphi have been very influential in showing me what’s possible. Musically, Gold Panda, Flying Lotus, Nihal’s radio show, Friction’s radio show, Gilles Peterson’s radio show and, at the moment, Pink Floyd.

When did you decide to start creating music yourself, and what are your main aims for this project?

I’ve always been creating music for myself as it helps me escape from life’s problems. I still do it just for fun, as I have since I got my first guitar. I decided that I wanted to release my first EP at 18, but it wasn’t until I was 20 that I actually did. It doesn’t sound that great to me now, so part of me wishes I didn’t release anything so early, but people from all over the world still listen to that EP (Enter the Void).

The main aim is to create great music that sounds different, that takes you on a journey within your mind, and to have fun and stay musically innocent. To create honest music and push the boundaries with my sounds and live show – which I’m working on with Joe Le Huquet, one of my best friends who also did the ‘Kukcu‘ video.

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What’s STRANGERZOO about, and what’s the story behind it?

STRANGERZOO is the world I am in – sometimes it’s strange but we are all in this zoo together. With that in mind, it’s my goal to unite all these different animals together to break out of our cage and explore new lands. That might not make much sense now, but hopefully throughout this year you will be able to see why we’re here.

What’s the Nottingham music scene like? Would you say it’s a good place in which to be making music?

Because I’ve only lived in Nottingham, I couldn’t say if it’s a better place to be making music than elsewhere… but there is so much talent here: musicians, producers, singers, film makers, graphic artists and so much more. That’s why the whole #nottinghamrocks trend started.

How do you think it compares to London?

There is more structure in London: more radio stations, press, gigs and venues, labels and publishers. Therefore it’s probably better to be in London to build yourself as an artist.

What’s the best venue in Nottingham to play?

I think it all depends on the time of year and the promoter, but I like the smaller venues with good sound systems. Venues that I like to play are Stealth for DJing, Jam Cafe for partying and Contemporary for watching.

Who played the first gig you ever went to? How was it, and what’s your resounding memory of it?

I think 5ive played the first gig I went to, it was great. It didn’t inspire me to make music, but they had a great energy on stage and special lighting and effects going. My best memory of it was just being mesmerised by their show.

What was your first show like?

As Kirk Spencer, it was actually at Leeds Festival on the BBC Introducing stage. It was a great experience. Marita, one of the artists I collaborate with, was singing and Ben Fawce was drumming. It was also especially great being able to bring my friends for free to a festival I have been going to since I was a kid. I’m now looking forward to playing at more festivals and creating a bigger and better live show.

If money/laws were no object, where would you most like to perform? How would the show unfold?

I would like to headline Coachella or the Gilles Peterson Worldwide Festival. Although I’ve never been to them I’m guessing it would be nice weather. The headline show would be a visual, story-based, 3D projected, music and dance show.

How did you write and record Wonderland?

I wrote the Wonderland EP while I was living in a huge, old school. There were eight creative people living there at the time, so it was a great experience, especially being able to make music until late into the night.

Wonderland was going to be my first album since I had made 18 plus songs, but I picked what I thought were the best five, because not all the songs were as inspiring/honest to me as the five I picked.

‘Kukcu’ has drawn a lot of attention. Is there are story behind it? What does the title mean?

‘Kukcu’ is pronounced like cuckoo. It was the first song I made in the old school that I wanted to fully finish, and I wanted it to be a part of a bigger story for the album. The story in my mind is about a young musician who is wrongly imprisoned in a mental home for a crime he is sure he didn’t commit, and then he escapes… so the song is all about this in a more detailed way, and it’s also kind of a metaphor for me feeling trapped in the mad world of Nottingham.

What was it like working with so many different guests?

It was definitely fun. Safia May was one of the artists who lived in this big old school. She’s also in the band Kappa Gamma from Nottingham. She has a wonderful voice and is really patient. Marita is always brilliant to work with since she’s unpredictable and has just got amazing emotion. I have just produced her five track EP which should be out soon. Louis Scott is one of Nottingham’s best singers in my opinion, he has a great tone, voice and chilled attitude. I love this guy.

Are there any moments that stand out as particularly special for you?

On the EP? No, I have listened to it way too much.

Who would your dream collaborations be?

It would be with Tame Impala and MIA.

What’s on the agenda for the rest of the year? Any festivals or more releases?

More gigs in the UK and hopefully the US, an experimental live set with Joe Le Huquet, production for established artists, a few remixes and yeah, I’ll be creating more music to release this year.